J1 Visa Insurance FAQ

Can I purchase insurance for just my spouse/child (J2)?

We offer several different plans for J visa holders; the eligibility requirements are different in each plan:

With some plans, dependents (J2) cannot be covered with or without the primary person (J1).

Other plans are available to dependents when the primary person has purchased the same insurance plan or if the primary person has purchased a plan through their sponsoring organization. If the primary person has purchased an individual insurance plan from a competing company, some plans will not allow just dependent(s) to enroll.

Is maternity covered for a J1 or J2?

Some of the plans available for J visa holders will provide coverage for maternity, and some will not. Eligibility requirements vary with the plans that provide coverage for maternity; more plans covering maternity will be available if it is the primary person (J1) requiring the coverage. If it is the dependent (J2) then more plans will be available when the primary person is included in quote and purchase of a plan.

In any case, maternity is not covered if the person needing coverage is already pregnant as of the effective date of the policy; some plans may have a waiting period.

I have insurance through the school and it's too expensive, can I purchase insurance through you?

Schools will usually have their own minimum requirements that an alternative insurance plan must meet before they will accept it.

Please send the requirements of your school (usually provided as the Waiver Form or the Compliance Form) to ofni and we will help you select a plan that meets those minimum requirements. Please do NOT send a copy of your school's insurance policy; there is no way for us to find out what the minimum requirements are for an alternate plan from it.

Can you sign the compliance form before I purchase the insurance?

We are happy to assist with completing compliance/waiver forms; however, the insurance plan must be purchased first. After purchase, the insured person must fill out the compliance/waiver form first and then send to ofni for it to be signed.

If your school has an online compliance/waiver form, or if it follows a different procedure, please follow that procedure instead.

Why can't I purchase Visitors Care if this plan has a $100,000 maximum?

J visa insurance regulations set by U.S. Department of State require that the insurance purchased by J visa holders must provide at least $100,000 policy maximum per incident (illness, injury or accident), and at least $25,000 for repatriation of remains. However, Visitors Care provides $100,000 lifetime policy maximum and only $7,500 for repatriation of remains; therefore, it is not J visa compliant insurance.

You can instead purchase Inbound USA which is a fixed coverage plan that meets the requirements set by the U.S. Department of State.

My school requires an ACA compliant plan, what plans do you have available?

We do not offer such plans.

Please look at domestic long term insurance plans instead. Please understand that you can enroll into an ACA compliant plan only during the open enrollment period or during any special enrollment period which applies to you.

Does any plan cover my prescription for birth control pills?

No.

I am a J1 and just got my green card, can I keep my current plan?

No. While your current plan may have additional time remaining until the expiry date, the change in status makes you ineligible for your current plan. Therefore, if there are any claims made after your change in status, chances are they would be denied due to the fact that you were ineligible for the plan when the occurrence happened.

Does your plan offer intercollegiate sports coverage over $5,000?

No. This seems to be an industry standard for this type of sports coverage.

Can I purchase a plan for medical evacuation and repatriation only?

Yes. Keep in mind that eligibility requirements still apply. This means you would still shop for a plan under the J1 Visa Insurance section.

Will your plan cover my child's immunizations?

No. This would be preventive care and would not be covered under any exchange visitors plan on the market. This would be the case for any inoculations, such as the Flu shot.

Can I be seen at the Student Health Center with your insurance?

Yes. Most plans will treat the Student Health Center as being in the PPO network as far as rates and co-pays go, some may even reduce the co-pay if seen there.

We had the school insurance last year for my family but just learned of your company; can we switch over?

We would need further details from you and would need to discuss some things before we can advise you of a plan that would be suitable for you, if any at this point.

We have had your insurance plan for the past two years, but we just had a baby. Can we add them to the plan or do we have to buy a separate one?

If the baby was born in the U.S., then it would be a citizen of the U.S. and therefore, could not be added to the J visa insurance plan. However, most J1 insurance plans would automatically provide coverage for the newborn baby for the first 31 days. After 31 days, you will need to find an ACA compliant insurance plan for the baby.

Please contact our office to discuss insurance coverage options for a child born in the U.S.

My wife is visiting her family for the summer in our home country with the kids. We have one insurance plan for the whole family; from what I understand they will not be covered for those months. Can I cancel the plan for them and keep mine, then just buy them a plan when they get back?

That is possible in most plans.

I already have an ACA compliant plan. Can I cancel and purchase yours?

You can purchase some of the plans, but not all of them. Therefore, it would be the best if you call our office, we would be glad to guide towards the most appropriate plans.

My sponsoring organization requires the insurance coverage from a particular date, but that date has already passed. Can you backdate the insurance?

No, that is not possible. In fact, some states consider this practice illegal.

Am I required to maintain J visa insurance during summer break?

Yes, as long as you are on J visa, you are required to maintain J visa compliant insurance for the entire duration of your stay.

Do you have any J1 visa insurance plan that provides unlimited policy maximum?

Yes. Please look at Geo Blue Navigator Student Insurance. However, please note that it still does not meet ACA requirements as it has been filed as a limited duration policy for international living.

My school/job provides medical insurance that I want/must participate in, but it does not satisfy the Department of State’s requirements for Medical Evacuation and Repatriation. What should I do?

In order to comply with the U.S. Department of State’s requirements for J Visa holders, an insurance plan should include Medical Evacuation and Repatriation in certain amounts. If you would like to purchase insurance that does not include that coverage, you will also need to purchase Medical Evacuation and Repatriation Insurance, which is very affordable and easy to purchase online.

DISCLAIMER: The information within this article is intended as a broad summary of benefits and services and is meant for informational purposes only. The information does not describe all scenarios, coverages or exclusions of any insurance plan. The benefits and services of an insurance plan are subject to change. This is not your policy/certificate of insurance. If there is any discrepancy between the information in this article and the language of your policy/certificate wording, the language of the policy/certificate wording will prevail.